The Miracle

A/N: In this chapter Eugene learns the truth of his gift…

A/N#2: This story "kind of" follows my other stories, so you might recognize a few of my OCs here that are still awaiting their full development there… I am also providing this spoiler alert. That said; I hope not to spoil things too much.

A/N#3: This is my own tear transference story. I hope you enjoy it. And, oh yes, I do not own Tangled or its primary characters, though I do own mine and the idea…

Chapter Five: The Gift Revealed

"Eugene, do you trust me?" Amanda asked, much to the surprise of all present.

"Amanda; why do you ask me that?" Eugene countered, not willing to believe his ears. He was shocked by her question as he could not think of anything he had done to cause her to feel any doubt as to her honor and truthfulness.

"It is because of what I am about to tell you."

"Um, ok. I am all ears, Amanda." Eugene uneasily stated; the doubt so prevalent before still slowly beginning to wane.

"Let's see. Where should I begin?" Amanda pondered; wondering where to begin as she did not want to freak out the already weakened royal suitor of Rapunzel.

"The beginning is usually a good place." Eugene replied, his good humor slowly returning.

Amanda smiled brightly at the Eugene she knew and loved. "Yes; indeed that is the best place. To spare you a lot of what you already know, let me begin with what you might not know."

"And that would be…?" Eugene asked; intrigued.

"Do you know the color of your aura?" Amanda asked; she conveniently ignoring the gasps of both Rupert and the royal couple.

"Um, no." Eugene sadly admitted; an admission that caused his normal royal blue aura, a very close match to that of Amanda, to substantially dim in its intensity and reveal a hidden secret.

"YES!" Amanda shouted, as she saw what the normal aura had kept hidden for the past two months. She looked over to Rupert and unavoidably smiled at the sight of her poor husband as he tried, and failed, to not freak out at the sight.

"What is it?!" Eugene asked, looking first to Amanda and then to Rupert, and quite curious of what had so excited her and surprised Rupert.

"My mother is right!" Amanda replied excitedly.

"About what?" Eugene asked, still confused.

"Do you recall what she told you?" Amanda asked, not wanting to jump to conclusions.

"Well, first of all, she told me that who she was, was not important right now." Eugene replied.

"Do you see now why she might have told you that first?" Amanda asked; her line of questioning firming up in such a way as to ensure Eugene was in full control of his faculties.

"Yes. Had I known then that she was your mother, I do not know what I would have done or how I would have reacted." Eugene said.

"So, you can understand why she didn't tell you?" Amanda asked.

"Yes. Had she told me who she was, I definitely would have suffered in silence for fear of either hurting you with what could be seen as a callous disregard for your feelings."

"Or…?" Amanda prompted.

"…that you would not believe me as no one in their right mind usually believes that the spirits of our dearly departed loved ones come to talk to us in our dreams our visits our bedchambers at night."

"Ordinarily, Eugene, you might be right. In this case, fortunately, you are very wrong."

"I guess…" Eugene softly replied, the doubt readily apparent in his voice.

"And, after she told you that, what else did she go on to tell you?" Amanda prompted Eugene further.

"Well, she then went on to tell me that I did know of her from deep in my past and of the pestilence about to strike Corona…"

"…and?"

"And, that I and I alone had the power to stop it before it even started." Eugene replied, still confused about what she could be talking about.

"Did she say anything else about the power?"

"Just that it resides within me somehow."

"She is absolutely right on that count, Eugene. You do indeed have the power within you, a most remarkable and…"

"What power? And, how?" Eugene interrupted, still unsure of what Amanda was saying.

"Before I answer that, Eugene, what else did she tell you?"

"That I have a deepening connection that will serve as my greatest ally. She also said that I should not fail to heed its voice; that I should hear it and listen carefully to what it tells me. Now, what is she talking about?" Eugene asked.

"Do you recall the events of two months ago?" Amanda asked, a bright smile beginning to form.

"How could I ever forget?" Eugene happily replied, remembering the day that his old dream faded away, to be replaced by his new one.

"And…?" Amanda asked as she tried and failed to stifle a giggle of the memory.

"I found something infinitely more valuable than a stupid island, surrounded by money; alone in my solitude and greed."

"And what happened next?"

"Well, after a very exciting adventure that culminated with me finding a new dream, I suddenly realized that she was someone that I had a duty to protect and return to her rightful home."

"And, as they say, the rest was history and they lived happily ever after?" Amanda asked.

"Well, not exactly, Amanda. There was the little incident that occurred about three weeks later, or about five weeks ago that definitely earned its rightful place in the tales of the unbelievable."

"Yes, you could indeed say that. And, after slaying the dragon, as it were, what…?"

"…I'll have to get back to you on that last part, Amanda." Eugene replied, earning a hearty chuckle from Rupert, William and Catherine, and Amanda.

"I think I could write the final chapter to this tale myself, except that there seems to be one final chapter that needs to be written prior to the happily ever after." Amanda said.

"So, where does this leave us now?" Eugene asked, knowing that they had returned to the little issue of Katelyn's visit.

"Well, Eugene, I guess it is time to tell you what power you have within you, do you not think so?" Amanda asked.

"Yes. Yes it is." Eugene countered.

"I will try not to freak you out, but the power my mother refers to is indeed very, very powerful. There is perhaps no other power to match this one. This power is actually quite amplified within you because of who you are." Amanda said as she tried to figure out how to tell Eugene.

Her doubt was easily picked up by Rupert who asked through their linked thoughts. "So, Mandy, how are you going to tell him? And, do you think you should tell him the entire story now, or after he does indeed destroy the pestilence as is indeed preordained?"

"That, Rupe, is exactly what I am pondering." Amanda replied, again through their linked thoughts.

"Well, there is always the direct approach. I guess…" Rupert suggested.

"Yes, I suppose there is." Amanda replied.

"Maybe we should make sure that William and Catherine are near enough to catch him when he has his next episode…?"

"Yes. That would most definitely be a good idea. I do not have any idea how he will take it."

Rupert and Amanda, breaking their link for the moment, surreptitiously motioned for William and Catherine to move imperceptibly closer to Eugene to be ready to steady him. The royal couple, knowing that the pair had been having an active conversation with the other despite the absolute silence, moved ever closer to Eugene, prepared to catch him if necessary as Amanda decided upon the best way to tell him; the direct and to the point approach.

"Eugene?" Amanda tentatively asked.

"Yes, Amanda." Eugene replied, uncertain of where Amanda was going with this.

"I guess there is only one way to tell you this." Amanda said, biting her lip slightly and cocking her head to the side as she both looked upon the features of the hero of Corona and she decided on her exact phrasing.

"Tell me what?" Eugene replied; quite the perplexed look gracing his features as he pondered Amanda's look.

"Well, Eugene, it is quite simple. You have the power of the sun within you."

"WHAT?!" Eugene shouted, completely flabbergasted, before unceremoniously fainting into the waiting arms of the quite shocked, yet very quick reacting royal couple of William and Catherine.

A/N #4: Please Review…